Beasts of the Sea
by Lulu Apollo
Summary: Captain John Watson, ship is attack by pirates and he is left for dead. But there be monsters in the ocean. Alternative Universe, Pirates and Merman.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Scales**

The waves caress the small wooden boat adrift at sea. Its gentle fingers lapped at the boats sides, eagerly wanting to claim the boat and its sole passenger to its watery depths. The passenger was barely conscious, an arm draped over the side of the boat as if he was reaching out trying to join the ocean. Blood drip from his fingers into the salty depth of the sea. He stared at it with a morbid fascination. If he had his wits about him he would have pulled his bleeding appendage back into the boat, but as the mid day sun beat down on him it only succeeded in scrambling his already scrambled brain.

He couldn't be sure if it was the explosion or blood lost which cause his head to feel like it was full of wool. The attack on the naval vessel had been quick, and the passenger's dazed mind could not piece together exactly how he had ended up in this boat. What he did remember was that he was Captain John Watson in the Royal Navy. Pirates had attacked his ship and somehow he had survived not only the attack, but the ship sinking. He had ended up floating in a boat with a bullet hole in his shoulder and shrapnel in his leg.

As John watch as his blood swelled in the ocean before dissipating, a grey fin crested a wave a stone throw from the starboard side of the boat. As the fin began to slowly circle the boat it snapped John to attention. He didn't move though as his body would not respond. So, he did the only thing his body would allow him to do, he watched the shark draw ever closer to the boat.

John felt his breath catch as the shark passed under the boat bumping it with its fin and tail, causing the boat to rock. As it passed under the boat again John swore he heard its teeth scrape the wood. The fin broke the surface of the ocean again as the shark turned its body to approach the boat again. John could hear his heart beating in his chest as this creature of death approached. The fin sliced through the water and the great beast opened its jaws. John looked into the cold eyes of the shark, and believed the beast was about to cause his doom.

As the shark prepared to take a bite from the boat, and probably John while it was at it, it suddenly disappeared under the ocean surface again. It wasn't like the shark had chosen to descend into the ocean depth, but more like a scarier creature of the deep had pulled it under. The water appeared to bubble around the boat. A grey shark tail thrashed out of the water before disappearing back into the churning sea. Something darker broke the surface; John swore it glittered like the night sky. As suddenly as it appeared it was gone and the sea turned red with blood. A few seconds later the churning water stilled except for the constant roll of the ocean.

As the minutes ticked by, and no shark or great monster of the sea appeared to drag John under, the adrenalin stopped pumping through John's veins. Without adrenalin to keep John's mind alert he began to drift back to a state of semi-consciousness. His muddle mind couldn't be sure if he was dreaming or not, as the stern of the boat, near his head, dipped toward the ocean. A shadow covered John's face; he stared up at a dark figure haloed in sunlight. The boat tipped again as the mystery person disappeared back into the water. John knew he must be dreaming when he felt the boat change course and slowly drift in another direction. A constant splashing could be heard as the boat began to drift. The smooth movement of the boat through the water rocked John into unconsciousness; where he dreamed of exploding ships and midnight blue fish with scales that glittered like diamonds in the sun.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Guardian

Captain Gregory Lestrade breathe deep the salted air. He loved days like this. The sun was shining, the air was warm and there was a breeze against his back. It was the perfect day for sailing and Lestrade fully intended draw anchor as soon as he had his coordinate.

"Donovan," Lestrade called for his First mate in a hope she had been successful at getting coordinates from the ship's useless, but utterly brilliant, Sea artist. Lestrade could feel the scowl forming on his face as Sally Donovan cut her way through the crew toward him. Even from a distance Lestrade could tell she had not been successful in gathering coordinates for him. It was written in the set of her shoulders, and the biting comment she sent fly at anyone in her way. Sally Donovan was livid and there was only one man who could cause such a rage in Lestrade's First mate.

"You should dump him at the next port and hire another Navigator." Donovan was seething.

"Did he give you the coordinates?" Lestrade questioned even though he already knew the answer.

"That just it, he didn't say a bloody thing. He's locked himself in his cabin again. And we couldn't even barge in because he's bloody well barricade the door hasn't he."

"Are we sure he hasn't killed himself performing one of his experiments?"

"Well I god damn hope that he has, because if he just sitting in his cabin, alive and well, just choosing not to answer me then I will kill him myself." Sally fumed at Lestrade. However, Lestrade was saved from having to soothe Donovan angrier by a crash sounding off the port side.

"What the hell?" Lestrade rush over to where the crash came from; the ship was anchored so something must have hit the boat. Lending over the railing Lestrade stared down at the water below. "Bloody hell. Donovan, get a rope." Lestrade ordered an equally shocked Sally.

After a lot of swearing, and Lestrade himself climbing overboard to the lifeboat, the unconscious body of a man was drag on board. He was a mess. The man's clothing was torn to threads, his skin was burned and blister from the sun, and there was a nasty wound in his shoulder and pieces of wood sticking out of his leg. How this man had ended up floating in the ocean in a life raft was beyond Lestrade.

"Oh dear," was gasped by a small mousey hair women that had just appear at Lestrade shoulder. Molly Hooper was the ship doctor; well she was the closer thing this ship had to a doctor. Molly father had been the ship doctor and Molly his assistance. When he had passed away Molly became the ship doctor. Though having never formally trained in Lestrade's eye Molly was a God send, and he thanked whoever informed Molly her assistance was required.

The normally timid girl sprung into action at the sign of someone needing her help. Bending down over the man she began to examine him. Hands lightly skimmed over wounds, and pulling clothing away to exposed torn flesh.

"Bullet hole in his left shoulder," Molly began to catalogue the man's injuries. "A nasty piece wood stuck in his thigh, infection has set in both wounds. He's sun burnt and I would say dehydrated as well. Finally, there a nasty bump on his head."

Molly look up at Lestrade, "Can someone go check with Sherlock whether he has any of that balm left that he made when you had that nasty infected cut Lestrade."

"Well we would if the Freak hadn't locked his door." Sally answered for Lestrade.

"I would have gladly opened my door Sally if you had asked nicely." The man in question strode pass Sally, who didn't manage to suppress the startled jump Sherlock caused her by appearing as if from nowhere. She recovered quickly and was about to retaliate when Lestrade held up a hand silencing her.

"Fascinating," Sherlock said bending over the man, his eyes flashing over his body absorbing information. "Military, the Royal Navy quite possibly a Captain, however his hands suggest a medical background. The dry salt on his clothing indicates he was in the ocean before getting in the life raft, the burns and the shrapnel indicate his ship exploded. Add this with the bullet wound and I would say pirates attack his ship."

Lestrade swore Sherlock didn't breathe when he got on a roll with his deduction.

"That's all well and good Sherlock, but it will all count for nothing if we can't save the man" Lestrade reminded the genius.

"For once you are right Lestrade."

Ignoring Sherlock's backhanded compliment, Lestrade helped carry the injury man below the deck toward Molly surgery. The man let out a groan as Lestrade lay him down on the surgery table.

"You're okay mate, we'll fix you up." As Lestrade spoke the man's eyes blinked open, but they were glazed and filled with fever.

Lestrade had to marvel at the luck of this man. That he had not only survived his ship exploding, but had then managed to find a lifeboat. Then somehow against all the odds his little life boat had made it across the ocean to hit a ship that not only had a doctor on board, but also has a mad genius on board that experiments on numerous of thing. One of which was balms which assist with healing. _You definitely have someone looking out for you_, Lestrade thought as he watched Molly and Sherlock get to work at saving the man.


End file.
